Reply to "Stribling & Ibrahim 2023: Commentary to the Editor".

In response to "Stribling & Ibrahim 2023: Commentary to the Editor", we wish to thank all authors for their interest in our work. The sole motive behind our narrative review, after learning the lesson from the trans-fat history and its impact on the science and food industry, is to prevent harm before it is too late. We agree with the authors regarding the importance of a worldwide unified definition of dietary fibre, but this should not have potential to worsen symptoms of those with functional bowel disorders nor cause more confusion among the public regarding the health benefits of dietary fibre.

Dietary fibre definition revisited - The case of low molecular weight carbohydrates.

Low molecular weight (LMW) non-digestible carbohydrates (namely, oligosaccharides and inulin) are accepted as dietary fibre in many countries worldwide. The inclusion of oligosaccharides as dietary fibre was made optional within the Codex Alimentarius definition in 2009, which has caused great controversy. Inulin is accepted as dietary fibre by default, due to being a non-digestible carbohydrate polymer.

Reply to "A Gluten Reduction Is the Patients' Choice for a Dietary 'Bottom Up' Approach in IBS-A Comment on "A 5Ad Dietary Protocol for Functional Bowel Disorders" 2019, , 1938".

We are grateful to Shaw et al [...

A 5Ad Dietary Protocol for Functional Bowel Disorders.

Functional bowel disorders (FBDs) affect around 20% of the population worldwide and are associated with reduced quality of life and high healthcare costs. Dietary therapies are frequently implemented to assist with symptom relief in these individuals, however, there are concerns regarding their complexity, restrictiveness, nutritional adequacy, and effectiveness. Thus, to overcome these limitations, a novel approach, the 5Ad Dietary Protocol, was designed and tested for its efficacy in reducing the severity of a range of gastrointestinal symptoms in 22 subjects with FBDs.